Extinguish the Night
by Elephanza
Summary: Immediately after the events of "Amok Time," Spock is not quite his normal self. As if that weren't enough, the Enterprise is forced to land on a planet with an unknown disease running rampant. Which figure from Spock's past will they find there? Will they find a cure and an escape in time?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my take on the Enterprise's next mission after the episode "Amok Time." It will be a multi-chapter story. The Spock/Kirk/McCoy dynamic is purely friendship in this fic. Thanks so much for reading and all reviews are appreciated.**

* * *

Spock never willingly took a day off in his life. Today, as he cut through the water of the Enterprise's Federation Olympic Games-sized swimming pool, was no different. Doctor McCoy had demanded that Spock rest for at least two days, as a needed cool down period from the events of his abnormal _pon farr_ and _koon-ut-kal-if-fee_ ceremony.

"Believe me, Spock, I'm not doubting the strength of your constitution when I say that you need some time off. Few people can even _survive_ those levels of chemical imbalance for as long as you did," the Doctor counseled as he, Spock, and Kirk had walked through the halls of the Enterprise.

"I assure you, Doctor, my logic has returned to me and I am completely fit for duty."

Just then, they came to Spock's quarters, and McCoy spied a glint of porcelain out of the corner of his eye. He picked it up and instantly knew it to be a piece of the soup bowl that Nurse Chapel had tried to serve Spock hours before. Kirk caught on, too, and stifled a laugh, something he could only do now that Spock was no longer in danger.

"Are you sure about that, Spock?" McCoy had said as he dangled the shard of bowl in front of Spock's face.

Spock's refusal to temporarily step down from duty was met with Captain Kirk's order for Spock to rest. He had begrudgingly obeyed the Captain, but only because he was so grateful that Jim was alive and _able_ to order him around. In the meantime, Bones, Jim, and many of the ship's officers attended the Planetary President's inauguration ceremony on Altair VI.

With Scotty in command, Spock had the pool all to himself. Surfacing on one end of the pool, Spock took a break and began to tread water. Not many people swam on Vulcan, for water was used sparingly, and Vulcans viewed the sport as rather wasteful. However, Spock had taken to the sport during his time in the Academy's mandatory physical training courses. He found the water refreshing and the fluid, methodical motion of the strokes to be helpful to his meditation. Water is quite like the mind; it becomes stagnant without stimulation. The pool was certainly awake now, glistening blue in little waves brought on by all of the splashing. He resumed his laps with the butterfly stroke. Vulcans did not have words for different styles of swimming, so Spock was forced to marvel at the colorful language Earth people used.

Spock decided to meditate once more on the events of the past few days. He had already relived them multiple times in his mind in order to brand them onto his memory. But, his logic was beginning to return to him and perhaps there was something he had missed. T'Pring had called him a "legend" among Vulcans. He did not wish to be considered such, as he was undeserving of this honorable title. A "legend" was a Vulcan with the integrity of Surak, not himself. But he supposed that his unique parentage and enlistment in Starfleet would always label him. He could deal with any labels that were thrust upon him; as a young child, his peers had thrown many creative insults his way.

Suddenly, something else appeared in Spock's thoughts that he had not considered before. The water's comfortable (by human standards) temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit abruptly caused a chill to run through his body. His unpreparedness for this _pon farr_ had greatly troubled him. He had harmed personnel, frightened Nurse Chapel, and performed actions that he didn't even remember performing. Therefore, Spock was determined to be ready next time. It was logical to think ahead – even seven years – in order to prevent further damage at his hand when this "blood-fever" overtook him again.

Spock decided that 20.4375 more laps would be sufficient for formulating this plan. Actually, 21 laps would be sufficient so as not to conclude his session in the middle of the swimming pool.

 _Must I take a new mate?_ _How far in advance must the bonding ceremony happen?_ Admittedly, he had not given these matters any thought. From his youth, he knew that he was bonded to T'Pring and assumed they would be married. If _pon farr_ symptoms had not manifested – which he hoped they wouldn't – due to his mother's human blood, he would never have returned for the ceremony. T'Pring would never have joined Starfleet and Spock never would have left. This realization jarred him. Was living among humans all this time causing him to prioritize his career in Starfleet over his duties as a Vulcan? He immediately scolded himself for dwelling on hypothetical situations that in no way aided in solving the questions at hand. He could not change what happened. T'Pring hadn't wanted him.

"Weeoooh." The intercom in the pool chamber chimed, awakening Spock from his flooding thoughts. As the only one in the room, he must answer the message. He quickly pulled himself out the pool and rushed over to the station, his Starfleet waterproof uniform dripping wet. He didn't bother stopping to towel off.

"Spock here."

"Mister Spock, you're going to like this. As much as I hate to do it, we need you on the bridge," Captain Kirk said in a steady voice with a hint of distress.

Spock was puzzled, but intrigued. "Captain, I do not understand, was not your presence requested at the ceremony on Altair VI -?"

"We returned six hours ago, Spock! I gave your regards to the Planetary President. Since leaving orbit, something had come up. Are you well enough to report to the Bridge?"

 _How long have I been here?_ Spock thought. But there was no time to wonder. Jim needed him and he would not disappoint.

"Yes, Captain. I can meet you on the Bridge in ten standard minutes. What is the trouble?" Spock asked the intercom.

"We are receiving a distress call from a planet that won't identify itself, and appears nowhere on our sensors. Acting science officer Pearson is working hard to solve the dilemma. I hate to call you back into duty so soon, but we need your analysis. I owe you one."

"On my way. Spock out." He grabbed a towel and headed out the door. _No, I owe you one, Jim_.


	2. Chapter 2

As he paced through the Enterprise halls, Spock's eyes were locked onto his destination: the turbolift. He ignored the astonished gasps and sideways glances he received from crewmembers. Never before had they seen so… _much_ of their First Officer. The standard issue waterproof uniform was the kind of uniform only meant to be worn in bodies of water.

"Mr. Spock!" peeped a voice behind him in a volume just loud enough to still be considered a whisper. A petite female ensign approached him from behind with caution. Spock whirled around, droplets of water from his hair hitting a few passers-by.

"Your clothes," the ensign outstretched her arm with a pile of linens, as far away from her body as possible. "I was on my way to the pool and I saw them laying there –"

Spock took the clothes with a hard, blank expression. "Yes, thank you, Ensign Lang," he said, grabbing the garments and ducking into a nearby washroom. Fortunately, the waterproof uniform was designed to dry in a matter of hours so that uniform pants could fit smoothly over the mid-thigh bottoms. Spock donned his black t-shirt and blue science uniform, and headed out the door.

 _Perhaps the Doctor was correct in stating my logic would be compromised for a few days,_ Spock thought to himself, entering the turbolift.

"Bridge," he said, and began ascending the decks.

 _But the Captain's tone of voice and described circumstances suggested a situation of grave importance. It was only logical that I endeavor to arrive on the Bridge as soon as possible. However, there is the matter of observing Starfleet regulation attire -._

The turbolift doors opened to the most chaotic Bridge Spock had ever seen. Machines were buzzing, blinking and whirring. Officers were pushing buttons frantically, trying to stabilize the ship. The atmosphere of the room told Spock that everyone was inwardly up in arms, but working very hard to maintain composure. He walked over to his usual place behind the Captain's chair.

Kirk turned to face him, "Spock. We've received multiple distress calls from a planet that we seem to be orbiting, at least, by the laws of physics. Is that right, Mr. Sulu?"

"Aye, sir. We are certainly orbiting something, but not by my hand. Something pulled us out of warp and into orbit. And I can't take us out of orbit. The controls are locked," Sulu answered steadily.

Spock eyed the front of the ship. The view screen was black. A sphere-shaped black hole seemed to be cut out of a smattering of stars.

"Are all systems operational?" Spock asked.

"Aye, sir, I've checked her out myself. Triple-checked. Not a scratch on her," replied Scotty from the Engineering station.

"Fascinating."

Kirk faced the communications console. "Lieutenant Uhura, brief Mister Spock on all recent communications."

"A copy of the recent transcripts is currently on the science station's computer, sir."

Lieutenant Pearson was not so skillful at concealing his bewilderment. He moved over to let Spock have a look.

The message read:

 _Urgent. Come at once. Our people are gravely ill. Coordinates 547.897.903._

 _Signed,_

 _Dr. S._

Spock looked up to signify he had read the message. Uhura added, "This message was written in a new cipher that Starfleet recently cracked. We've only known it to be used by the Romulan Empire. What's more, the coordinates use a different coding system specific to numerals. The code is not recognized by computers but I am certain that I have accurately transcribed it, based on my research in this area."

Spock was impressed that Lieutenant Uhura's independent study of linguistics so aptly aided the current situation. "If I am not mistaken, those coordinates are directly beneath our ship," he noted.

"Zat is correct, sir," replied Chekov, "Right in ze middle of nowhere."

Unlike the rest of the ship, the science console was completely dark. The sensors were fully functional, but picked up no readings whatsoever. Spock walked over to Kirk calmly.

"Recommendation, Mr. Spock?" Kirk asked.

"Given the very little information available –"

Without warning, the Enterprise was lurched portside. The Bridge personnel were thrown about as if they were children's playthings.

"Captain, they are dragging us closer to where the planet should be. I have lost all steering control of the ship," reported Sulu.

"Another message arriving, Captain. It is written in the same cipher as before. The communicant says he wishes to speak with my commanding officer," Uhura stated, fingers gliding across multiple buttons with ease.

"Broadcast, Uhura."

A cloud of fuzzy static ensued, only to give way to a black front view screen.

"Captain Kirk?" a raspy, frightened man's voice called.

"Yes, this is the Captain. Identify yourself."

"That will not be necessary at the moment. We need your help and we need it now." Some of the voice's fragility began to strengthen, as if the weakened voice had been a facade all along.

"Where are you located? And what are you doing to our ship?" Kirk barked as steadily as his nerves would allow.

"We are bringing you to us. That is the only way to insure you will help us. Many of our people have fallen ill with a mysterious virus. You have doctors on board the ship, they will cure us."

As the ship began to dive lower and lower into where the planet's atmosphere should be, the view screen began to display a blurry, white-gray image that gave way to open green fields, rows of crops, and dark conifer trees. They were descending near an outcropping near what appeared to be a settlement of primitive dwelling places. For the first time since Jim had been in command, the Starship Enterprise was going to land, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"You can't just kidnap an entire crew and force them to your planet. Of course we want to help, but there are appropriate ways of getting our attention," Kirk stated, apprehensive, trying to stall for time.

Meanwhile, Spock relieved Lieutenant Pearson at the science console. "Sensors are once again functional, Captain. This appears to me a Class M planet, undocumented by Starfleet."

Spock was interrupted by the voice, which he assumed belonged to "Dr. S" from the ciphered distress call.

"Our people do not take kindly to outsiders. In fact, we are completely isolated and wish to remain that way. That is why you will come as one of us. We are attaching our code of dress for your preparation needs." Radio noise invaded the Bridge. The conversation, if you could call it that, was over. Just then, a small rumble alerted the crew that their ship had reached solid ground, a feeling previously unknown to most of them. It wouldn't have felt so bad to their space-weary legs had they not landed here against their will.

On the view screen, mens' and womens' clothing appeared. Fabric types and colors were specifically labeled. The attire consisted of long, moderately tight pants for men in various light earthy tones: green, tan, and burnt orange, tucked into thigh-high white boots, with a choice of either a long or short-sleeved un-collared shirt of the same color. The women wore a similarly styled, but tighter, outfit in darker tones. Both genders wore a headpiece that resembled a piece of torn cloth. It was a headband that reached around the forehead, over the ears, and tied slightly higher than the nape of the neck.

Kirk was dazed by the sudden twist of events, but he did not let his distress show. He directed Uhura to forward these dress specifications to the replicator, and send Dr. McCoy to retrieve them. "And notify Starfleet as to our position. Mr. Scott, you have the conn. Try everything you can to regain control of the ship. Auxiliary power, anything that you think will help. Mr. Spock, you're coming with me."

"Captain, you canna mean you're actually going out there!" Scotty replied.

"That's exactly what I mean, Mr. Scott. I have little choice in the matter. We can't just hide in here forever. Besides, these people might be telling the truth."

The ship was placed on yellow alert after the crew was briefed on the situation. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy met to retrieve their clothing.

"Jim, I don't know who these people are, and why you insist on meeting them face to face, wearing this stuff, no less! Tie this for me?" he asked, motioning his headband. Kirk was busy wrestling with his own costume, so Spock moved to assist the doctor.

"Bones, we have to be ready for anything. They could _actually_ be sick and just have an odd way of asking for help. We've contacted Starfleet, but the message most likely hasn't arrived yet." Kirk had finally won the struggle against the white, over-the knee boots.

Spock finished tying on his ecru headband.

"You know, with that getup on, no one could tell you're Vulcan," Bones remarked.

"Indeed." Spock was unfazed by Bones' comment, which he normally might have taken as an insult.

With weapons, tricorders, and communicators in tow, the three beamed down to the coordinates of the broadcast. They were outside one of the humble dwellings that resembled a log cabin.

"Well, that was the shortest beam-down I ever experienced," said McCoy lightheartedly, to try and combat his inner uneasiness.

Spock puzzled over his peculiar tricorder readings. "Captain, the tricorder picks up no sign of life. In fact, the blank readout recalls the phenomena affecting the ship's sensor."

"Phasers on stun," said Kirk. It was more of a warning than an order.

The small, wooden room housed a desk of seemingly primitive radio equipment. Kirk wondered how these people could control the functions of the Enterprise and mask their planet from sensors with such limited devices.

"Welcome," said a man, swiveling around to face them from his seat behind the desk. Clad in a deep scarlet version of the standard apparel, he was dark-haired with flecks of grey. A strong build was visible underneath his short-sleeved shirt. In fact, he did not fit his feeble voice whatsoever. Nothing seemed to be wrong with him.

"Doctor S, I presume?" Spock said with a tinge of sarcasm.

The man nodded. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Commander Spock."

"Are you really a doctor?" Bones asked skeptically.

"Oh yes, Doctor McCoy, I assure you, I am. Just not in the manner you might think."

Bones looked at him as if to say, _What's that supposed to mean?_ But he held his tongue for the time being.

"There are many questions I would like to ask you, _doctor_ ," began Kirk. "But foremost on my mind is how you were able to identify us by name," gesturing to Spock and McCoy.

"Ah, I assumed you might ask such an inquiry. I will not deprive you of the information you seek. You see, perhaps I left out that our planet is also home to some of the finest scientists in the galaxy, who are quite familiar with the Federation and the Enterprise."

As if planned, the door creaked open and in walked five scientists. Four of them looked vaguely familiar to Spock, but when he laid eyes on the fifth one, he – quite illogically – stopped breathing. It was Leila Kalomi.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi, thank you so very much to everyone who reviewed. You are all so kind. I have changed the title of this story, from "Extinguish the Night" to "That Good Night" BACK to "Extinguish the Night," which is what it will remain. Sorry for any confusion! Also, I decided to make the chapters longer, so now I present chapter 3. Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek (CBS does) and I don't own one small line in this story - Leonard Nimoy owns it because he wrote it. A challenge: can you tell me which one it is? Thanks a bunch for reading :)**

* * *

Dr. S finally got the picture that he had to cut the dramatics in order to potentially get the help he needed from the crew of the Enterprise. The planet, called Eonsul, was truthfully facing a serious problem: a deadly, unknown virus was ravaging through the planet's small population. It all started about six Earth months ago, when a child from a small village fell ill. Paralyzed with fear, the boy's parents had brought him into the planet's main city in order to receive medical care. His symptoms included violent shaking, as if he was experiencing withdrawal, but his medial record clearly indicated that he was never addicted to anything. The doctors tried many treatments, to no avail, and the child's health declined and he finally died within two months. They were desperately trying to find a cure or at least trace the origins of the merciless illness. With sadness in his hard gleaming eyes, Dr. S told the crew of the Enterprise of the thousands more who joined the first host of the pathogen in death. Now, everyone on the planet had moved to the metropolis area, whose population had decimated to fewer than 20,000.

"We sympathize with your planet's devastating loss," began Captain Kirk, "But what I don't understand is why you didn't call for help sooner. Clearly you have the technology to do so."

Dr. S shifted his eyes for a moment, then locked them firmly on Kirk. "Here on Eonsul, we value our isolation. It has always been this way. We do not have the means for space travel. We apologize for taking your ship by force, but we were desperate. Our limited records of humanoid civilizations do not paint a kind portrait of humans. We assumed you were savage, self-serving, warlike creatures. Certainly you understand our actions with this in mind."

Kirk furrowed his brow. He wondered what kind of historical records these people had about humans. Although not directed towards him personally, Kirk felt slightly insulted at these accusations. "I assure you, we have long since evolved past such behavior," he defended.

Meanwhile, Dr. McCoy had been listening patiently with a scowl on his face. "What I'd like know is, how did these scientists get here, and for what purpose? Don't they have a transport you could have used?" As he said this, he glanced over at Spock, who had been unusually silent during the whole conversation. McCoy was sure that Spock would have interjected some logical remark by now. The First Officer wore his typical stone-faced guise and stood in an at-ease position. His lips were the slightest bit parted and his gaze was transfixed on one thing: Leila.

Dr. S jumped to answer the question before any of the five scientists could get a word in. "A short time before the disease surfaced, they were dropped here on a research mission. Their ship planned to return for them after a set time, but when that time came, we warned them to stay away. You see, everyone here is infected; picking up the scientists could have been deadly. It was a saving grace when we saw the Enterprise flying overhead."

Something didn't sit right with Dr. McCoy about this whole operation. He wanted to talk to the other doctors about their findings regarding the disease.

"Dr. McCoy, you and your staff could be particularly helpful to us. We must implore you to stay and help our people. If your race is as benevolent as you say it is, Captain Kirk, show us." Dr. S was a perfect actor, but his melodrama and perfectly chosen language betrayed him. His coy smirk gave off the air of a master chess player who had planned each move of a game, not the distressed leader of a people torn apart by disease.

"Would you all so kindly permit us to return to our ship? I need to tell my crew of the situation and best decide how we can deal with this problem." Captain Kirk matched Dr. S's levelheadedness with some acting of his own.

"Certainly." Again, the doctor's formulated tone was patient, as if he had all the time in the world to wait for their return.

Kirk and McCoy began to move toward the doorway. He decided to refrain from cracking a joke about it, McCoy had to give Spock a little shove to get him moving. Dr. McCoy could have sworn Spock held his breath when he passed by Leila Kalomi.

* * *

As requested by Captain Kirk, Lieutenant Uhura sent out a transmission to all decks briefing them on the bare-bones details of the situation. They were stuck on the planet until a cure was found or the Enterprise started to function again. Even if they could get away – would they abandon these people? Kirk could not give them much more information because he hadn't been told much more. Scotty and the engineering staff had been working tirelessly to find out why they had lost control of the Enterprise but had so far come up with nothing. The majestic eagle of a starship had no choice but to rest on solid ground. Uhura had attempted contact with Starfleet but that transmission, too, was blocked.

Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were beamed to a sealed quarantine room inside the Enterprise. It wasn't much – a bare, grey-walled room with no furniture that resembled a briefing room. However, it was enough for Dr. McCoy to check them over with his medical tricorder. He concluded that a new substance was now present in their bodies – their bloodstream to be exact – that wasn't there before. He would need more instruments for further research, but couldn't risk the trip to sickbay.

"Jim, this whole thing doesn't sit right with me. This Dr. S character doesn't let anyone else talk. If everybody has the disease, why don't the scientists seem to have it? They've been here longer than us."

"Yes, Bones, I agree," Jim said. "There's so much we haven't been told. But, since we're the only ones who have been to the surface, and Dr. S doesn't seem to be letting us leave, we may as well try to help."

"Nurse Chapel already expressed her willingness to beam down with us, but I insisted she give us some time. Let me talk to the doctors down there and see what they're doing in the lab. No need to have her put her life on the line yet," said Bones, walking over to Jim and elbowing him in the shoulder. He gestured towards Spock. The Commander's head was bowed, eyes cast down and hands folded in front of him.

Jim nodded in recognition, open-mouthed. "What do you think, Spock?"

Spock spoke up, but only when prompted. He was deep within himself, a very dangerous place to be when the situation could throw another curve ball at any moment. "We must not allow anyone else to visit the surface."

"I was surprised to see that we have encountered one of the scientists before," said Jim, with a sly grin on his face. He deserved to have some amusement in the middle of a trying predicament.

"Indeed," was all Spock had to say. Actually, he had a lot more to say but it would be illogical to vocalize his equally impertinent thoughts about the matter of Leila Kalomi.

Jim remembered their mission to Omicron Ceti III less than a year earlier. To Jim, it had been a successful rescue mission. A difficult and frightening one – especially when all of his crew had abandoned ship – but successful in the end. However, Jim was mindful of his First Officer's opposite experience. Spock had had little to say about that mission, except to tell him he was happy for the first time. After this admission, Spock had been left alone for the rest of the day. Even Bones could read the agony on his face and had the good sense not to mention it further. When the colonists had been dropped off at the nearest spaceport, everything went back to normal and no one mentioned the matter again. Kirk wistfully looked at his friend in sympathy.

"Spock, you just had an ordeal that took a major toll on your body," Bones piped up. "Are you sure you're ready for another physically, mentally, and emotionally draining task?" When he had checked Spock for the virus, he had found that his hormone levels were decreasing, but still very much above average.

Spock looked up. "Doctor, how can my emotions be depleted if they are nonexistent?" It sounded like Spock was posing the question to himself.

Bones rolled his eyes. Spock was certainly back to talking like his old self. "They don't exist, my foot," he muttered, in a low, uncharacteristically gentle voice.

"Bones, I'm afraid Spock doesn't have a choice. We need him. I have full confidence in my First Officer's abilities. Spock, as science officer, he must gather all of the information he can from the _scientists_ on the planet," Kirk said.

The Captain continued, "I'll try and talk to the civilians. Bones, you question the doctors, but protect yourself. We'll report on our findings at 0800. Keep your phasers and communicators with you at all times."

Kirk whipped out his communicator, "Scotty, beam us back to the planet. Same coordinates. Kirk out."

* * *

Spock attributed his shortness of breath to the warmth of the planet. Eonsul's weather was completely opposite to the dry, scorching heat of Vulcan. The climate was so humid that it felt like one could drink the air. However, Spock knew that his lungs were in full functioning condition and would not cause labored breathing. He had survived much worse physical strain during his time serving on the Enterprise. As he walked towards his next assignment, he began to perspire, which he never did on the Enterprise. In fact, he often felt cold on the ship's contrived weather conditions that modeled a pleasant Earth climate. At the village, the scientists would be waiting. _She_ would be waiting. Sucking in a slow, deep, silent breath, Spock centered himself. He found it uncomfortable, despite having practiced this most basic form of emotional control since childhood.

A few of them were standing around Dr. S's headquarters. Had they not been introduced as scientists moments ago, he could have mistaken them for locals. Spock wondered why they were not searching for answers to the planet's most pressing problem: the disease. Coming out of the distant forest, he saw a group of people carrying large burlap sacks walking towards the settlement.

 _Slam!_ Spock turned towards the noise.The wooden door shut hard behind a figure walking out of the building, and walked over to the group loitering about. They huddled and talked; it was clear that she was their leader. That role suits her, Spock thought.

She turned away from the scientists, saw Spock coming and began walking towards him. She stopped about two feet away from his body. If there was one thing Leila Kalomi was not, it was shy. Spock had learned this from his previous encounters with her. Their meeting was, in fact, inevitable, if Spock was to complete his duty and work with the scientists. But any form of preparedness could not prevent him from feeling his side pulsate at a greatly increased rate.

They locked eyes. He half-expected her to touch his arms, or his chest. He made up his mind not to push her away should she attempt the gesture. But she did no such thing. Instead, her large blue eyes gazed up at him from underneath her thick lashes trying to hide their fatigue.

"Spock, for reasons I cannot understand, we meet again." Leila looked into his eyes for as long as she could stand, and then focused on her hands, clasped firmly in front of her. He noticed she did not use the honorific 'Mr.' when speaking his name, like she always used to. "I am thankful you have come. I know you can help us. Come, we must get away from the city."

Without giving him a chance to respond, she gestured to the other scientists to follow her through the wall of trees, where the others had emerged. As the groups passed each other, Leila said, "The Starship Enterprise and its crew have been brought here to help us. This is Commander Spock, Science Officer. If anyone can find a cure, I am confident he can."

The returning party looked fatigued but managed smiles and one even slapped Spock on the back. A human gesture of well wishes or "good luck," he knew, from being the recipient of Jim and the Doctor's similar behavior.

As Leila's group walked on, Spock asked, " _Find_ a cure? I'm not sure I understand."

Leila kept up a strong, steady walking speed. They were at the entrance of the forest. "This rainforest is largely unexplored. We believe that one of its thousands of plant species may be able to remedy the epidemic. There are only fifteen of us here, as Dr. S explained, our stay here was intended to be short," Leila explained, pulling a burlap sack out of her robe. "So, we go out in shifts, collecting plants with healing properties." She gestured to Spock's hip. "That tricorder could really help us."

"Indeed. It is only one device, but a great improvement over the methods you have been using. Although we have been taken here against our will, it is most logical to offer our help while we are stranded."

Leila giggled. Then she let out a very loud cackle. The other scientists, red-faced from the heat, looked at her and Spock quizzically.

"How can you laugh, Leila, when I can barely talk?," huffed Neil Peterson, a general biologist on the team. He was tall with sandy blonde curly hair, which was quickly turning light brown due to the sweat.

Leila's answer came in her reply to Spock, "You haven't changed. I'm not sure how I feel about that."

The group pressed farther into the rainforest for another solid Earth hour. Spock gathered all of the information he could about the disease from Doctor Suhana Chadha, who was travelling with them. Her long black hair twisted down her back in a thick braid that was turning loose. She told him the properties, symptoms, and duration of the infection. "It seems that the inhabitants of this planet have no immune system at all, so they fall ill and die quickly. We have been able to fight it off for quite a while, but a few of us have progressed to a 'point of no return.' The limbs become numb and soon unworkable, and the eyes stay glued shut.

Spock visualized the sickly image and suddenly became motivated to continue on. He was energized at the prospect of ending this suffering. The rainforest buzzed with life of many microscopic species who would not show themselves. Vibrantly colored flying creatures soared overhead. To many, this place would be considered beautiful. But the team did not have the luxury of stopping to admire its beauty. After they gathered a variety of plant specimens, the unmistakable noise of trickling water began to drift through the air towards them. Their canteens were getting low, and Leila waved them on towards the welcome sound. A few steps through some fern-like bushes revealed a small pile of boulders with a stream of cascading clear liquid. Combined with the light from the sun, the water sparkled with the full spectrum of light. The rainbow of colors suddenly triggered a memory for Spock, a memory from Omicron Ceti III. It was too late to suppress it, and it was not logical to dwell on the past, especially during such grave times. But the scene flooded his mind's eye as rapidly and irreversibly as the waterfall. He was lying on the grass, pointing to a cloud in the sky, naming the shape of the cloud. Suddenly, a rainbow painted the clouds pastel tones, although it hadn't rained. He rested his head on Leila's thigh and didn't tell her about the chemistry of light or clouds or weather. He simply admired the sky's beauty in silence, which wasn't a silence with her, but a moment rich with peace.

Snapping out of his daydream, which he would deny occurred if prompted, Spock saw he had been left behind. The group had run ahead to the stream. They were splashing and smiling, while making sure to fill up their canteens for the journey back. Leila wore a bright, dazzling smile, as she frolicked under the water. She had removed her headband, short-sleeved shirt, and boots, leaving only an undershirt and the uniform pants. Spock looked at her and knew that he was gazing upon the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Immediately, he scolded himself for thinking a purposeless thought such as that.

He walked over and filled up all remaining canteens, and stood, at water's edge, in an at-ease position. "We have replenished our source of hydration, I would recommend heading back and examining the plants we collected!" Spock raised his voice above the rushing water and the happy outbursts. "It is premature to engage in celebration, as we have not uncovered a remedy yet!" He could see that his prompting was useless, but every reasonable bone in his body forced him to keep trying to coax them back on land and back to the city.

"Come on, Spock, come in with us," Leila called, "You really need to cool off." He put a hand to his head - yes, his hair was sweaty and matted, and no doubt unkempt. The headband was rather uncomfortable. Not wishing to drench all of his attire, Spock took off his short-sleeve shirt and boots. He untied his headband and neatly laid it against his shirt. He walked into the water, careful not to step on any pointed objects. But there were none. The rocks were smooth against his bare feet, and sinking down deeper, he once again felt water's calming effect move through him with cold electricity. Not particularly fond of their raucous water fight, Spock maintained a removed distance from the others, while remaining in their line of sight. _Perhaps it is logical to rest briefly before returning to the city, if the scientists' bodies require it._ Simultaneously, a different inner voice that did not speak very often said: _This is almost like paradise_.

Suddenly, everyone stopped splashing. Neil looked directly at Spock as if he had seen a ghost. Gaping, he clasped a hand to his mouth, and breathed a sharp knife of surprise. "You're a _Vulcan_?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to all who have read, followed, faved, and reviewed so far! This chapter took a while, and it could not have happened without the help and support of my friend, Zhi'rev, who acted as beta reader and confidante for this. You're the best, Zhi'rev!**

* * *

Lieutenant Uhura had not moved from the communications console in hours. She was entitled to a dinner break and had been offered relief of post by another communications officer, but had denied both. Between messages sent to Starfleet, she worked on another puzzling conundrum about the planet Eonsul. Uhura knew that she was the only one who would be able to find the answer because, to her knowledge, no one else was proficient in this advanced Romulan code. Why had Dr. S contacted them in this language? Did they want Romulans to attend their distress call? She had reviewed Captain Kirk's incoming reports time and time again. Dr. S claimed the planet was completely isolated. But with a little research, Uhura found conflicting evidence.

She could not call out from the Enterprise, but she was able to tap into Eonsul's records of communications. Their last contact had been a few months ago, to the scientists' ship, returning to pick them up. Since it was a Federation ship, the transmission went out in English. It read, "Turn back. Contagion." This fit with Dr. S's testimony so far. Hand on her sound-blocking earpiece, Uhura looked intently at the console's screen, waving away a yeoman attempting to give her a glass of water. She was receiving a transmission of a message nearly six Earth months prior. It was written in the Romulan cipher, addressed to a small planet in the Romulan Empire. The signal could be traces back to the exact room where Dr. S sat. Uhura noted that he seemed to be the only one sending out any type of communication. She wrinkled her brow and read: "This may not reach you soon, but I am well. Give my love to mother and the girls. Signed, Sirol." Something suddenly clicked in the weary Lieutentant's mind. Eonsul was not isolated from other worlds. At least, the records showed that Dr. S most certainly was not. _It is said that Vulcans do not lie_ , thought Uhura. But no one had ever said that about Romulans.

She pressed a button. "Enterprise calling Captain Kirk."

Some static ensued, but then, "Kirk here. Go ahead, Enterprise."

"Lieutenat Uhura here, sir. I found something that you may be interested in."

* * *

Spock turned towards Neil's voice. "I am. How astute of you to make that observation," he said.

Meanwhile, Leila bit her lip. The other scientists tried to hide their surprise but were unable. They also wore expressions of fear and began to slowly get out of the water.

Neil turned to Leila, "You knew? And didn't tell us? Don't you know what could have happened to us?" His teal eyes shot her a piercing glance, but he kept his distance from both of them.

Spock could sense Leila's worry, but her face remained composed. "Relax. No one will find out. That's what these costumes are for, right?" She forced a chuckle. "You four better bring these specimens back to the lab. I must talk to Mr. Spock alone for a moment." She exited the natural wading pool, grabbed her clothes and shoes, and motioned for him to follow her. Their respite had been short-lived.

"All right, but be careful," said Neil. He began retracing their path through the dense foliage. Leila seemed to have an untarnishable rapport with them. Despite the tension, her peers obviously respected her authority over them. Suhana turned and looked back at Spock, still standing motionless up to his waste in water. Spock noticed that she wore the same skeptical smirk as Jim whenever they landed on an unknown planet together. But without a word, she grabbed their basket of plant samples, turned around and kept walking.

The other male scientist, Henri, elbowed his partner, Ira: "A Vulcan. How about that?" They followed the others and were soon out of sight and sound.

"Why did my heritage come as such a surprise to Neil?" Spock said, walking to shore. Suddenly the smooth rocks jabbed at his bare feet creating the sensation of walking on nails.

"Oh, Spock, I should have told you, but there wasn't time. Come, I will brief you as we walk back together."

"One moment," he replied, sitting on a log. "It would be entirely illogical to begin the journey without redressing. We must not risk the possibility of creating open wounds vulnerable to infection."

"And all this time, I thought you were a science officer, not a doctor." She laughed and sat next to him, beginning to pull on her white boots. He stiffened; a little too close for comfort. She sensed it, and slid herself father from him. His side ached from labored breath. He didn't know why; the air temperature was actually beginning to cool down. Spock picked up his cloth headband and examined it closely. Then he tied it on, covering his ears and eyebrows once again.

"Dr. S is the leader of this planet, as I am sure you've gathered. You might also be wondering why he is not working to cure the disease," began Leila. Spock looked into her clear blue eyes, with a crystalline shine. He knew it would be impolite to do otherwise when she was speaking to him, but it took everything in him to focus on the words she was saying.

"...not a medical doctor. He's an entomologist."

"Ah, the study of insects. A fascinating profession."

"He is an intelligent man." Leila said. Spock thought he heard something more than admiration in her voice. He thought she had the same wistfulness about her that Jim often exhibited when he discussed women like Edith Keeler. Because of this, Spock hoped his intuition was still compromised.

"But-" she continued. "He is very... Oh, it's so hard to come out with it. Forgive me, Spock." He heard her breath catch in her throat. He wanted to smoothly move closer. But what logical purpose would that serve? His mind returned no answers.

"Leila, it seems whatever you have to tell me is of great importance. If it causes you pain to say it, might I suggest a mind meld?" Why had he said that? Surely there were less drastic measures to be taken.

"A mind meld? I've heard of that. Vulcans can cause two minds to become one... How ironic would this be considering what I have to tell you." She paused, deep in thought. Then she sucked in a confident breath. "No. Spock, I know I can manage without."

Without awareness of his movement, Spock inched closer to Leila on the log. All he could hear was the echo of his words from a short time ago, words he had said to Stonn upon finding out that the other male Vulcan would wed T'Pring. _Having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting._ In this moment, Spock knew one thing: he wanted Leila Kalomi. He wanted her body, her mind, and her spirit.

With his brain focused on the mission and his heart beating too fast to be of any use, what was telling him this? What told him to grab her hands in his, and rub the tops of them with his thumbs? What force was behind his movement close to her eyes, her face? He could feel her soft eyelash on his nose. His arm snaked around her neck and hair and pulled her close to him. His lips found their way to hers and somehow the rest of his mouth followed. For a moment he couldn't do anything else but kiss her, take a breath, and kiss her again, deeply, feverishly, madly.

He couldn't tell if she was enjoying their exchange or not. Something had taken control of his movements. What was it? His hand glided over the fabric headband that she had just retied on her head, outlining its edges with awe and wonder. Setting sunlight dripped white shadows onto her forehead, adorning her skin with little jewels. His fingertips spread and touched her brow and felt her essence, the core of her being, and he wanted more. Curling his hand into her hair, he accidentally ventured into her mind: fear, terror, fight, masked weakness. This realization made him want to shelter her, protect her: protect her from people like himself. He couldn't stop. He had to know all of her. His lithe fingers slipped down from her neck to the smooth shirt fabric that she had just re-clothed herself with. They ventured lower, lower down to her hip. The garments ached to be removed. So he caressed them, hoping to ease them off as gently as a Vulcan in heat was able to manage.

Suddenly a blow to his chest pushed him away from his desire.

The forceful blow turned out to be Leila's hands. "Spock, what are you doing?" She said with a hint of disgust, surprise, and pleasure all rolled into one. "I am certain that's not how mind melds work. That was, very, uhn-unlike you." She trembled. Had he hurt her? He had no recollection of what he had done. If he wasn't overwhelmed by her presence, he would have been flush with shame and embarrassment.

She wasn't afraid. Standing, she yanked him up by his wrist. "We must leave now, if we are to make it back before dark." Reaching for her canteen, she took a long swig, and held it out to Spock.

He took it. The taste of cold living liquid flashed his memory back to all of his recent encounters with water: the Enterprise pool, the waterfall. He remembered, and a twinge of shame did come before he covered it. It took humility to admit that Dr. McCoy had been right. Blood fever was not over. It was far from over. But identifying the reasoning behind his actions was the first step to handling them.

He began to walk through the tree-lined path, clasping his hands behind his back. She fell into step with him.

"You must...forgive me." It was not a command. It was a plea from the deepest part of him that he could stand to show her.

She ignored his vulnerable request, instead opting to change the subject. "I am ready to tell you what I know, to explain Neil's reaction."

Head down, Spock gave a sharp nod and concentrated on not tripping on roots or vines.

"Ever since we arrived here, Dr. S has constantly expressed distaste - no, Spock, _hatred_ \- for the Vulcan race. One moment I overhear him wanting to annihilate the – _your_ – entire race of people, and the next - he can't stand the sight of you. Oh, Spock, it's awful! When the Enterprise was detected flying overhead, he called in my team and asked if we were familiar with the ship. Of course, many of the informed scientists knew of your widely reported 5-year mission. Then, he asked if any of the crew were Vulcan. I of course told him none were, because I wanted your ship to come. I want to live, we want to live and be rid of the disease, and I know _you_ , Spock. I knew you would help us."

Spock's face showed a slight wrinkle of distress. But he kept listening, as the trees became thicker and the path narrower.

"If I had told him of a Vulcan First Officer, he either planned to shoot your ship down right there or let it pass over this planet. I'm sure of it!"

Spock was almost too shocked to speak. This visit just became more and more puzzling. In a moment of desperation, he grabbed her wrist, and gently slid his hand into hers, squeezing it. He knew this gesture tended to reassure humans. He usually found it uncomfortable and unnecessary, but not now. "Did Dr. S ever articulate his reason for...strongly disliking... the Vulcan race?"

"He's so prone to emotional outbursts that none of us had the gall to ask. We just wanted to get off of this planet alive and invested all of our energies in uncovering a cure for the disease." She paused. "I'm frightened," Leila finally admitted, squeezing his hand back.

He took out his communicator. "Spock to Dr. McCoy. Doctor, what is your progress?"

McCoy answered immediately, "Spock, where the blazes are you? That science team of yours brought back an interesting specimen. I think I'm onto something. Get your green-blooded self out of the trees and high tail it back here!"

"Yes, Doctor. Spock out."

To Leila, he said, "The Doctor appears to have found something. Now would be a logical time to be hopeful." He let go of her hand and began walking with new conviction.

"Oh, Spock," she said, her sigh riding on the trails of the ethereal breeze. "Why did we let each other go?"

* * *

Nightfall was approaching by the time Spock and Leila made it back to the compound.

Spock turned to her. "You should join the others and get some rest, while I provide assistance to Doctor McCoy. Conserving energy during an epidemic would be most logical. Especially since your body has hosted the pathogen longer than mine."

Leila smiled and placed her hands on his arms. "Spock, during an epidemic, logic is the first thing to be abandoned. Besides, I might be of assistance, too, you know. I have studied some in the field of medicinal herbs." She left him and began walking towards the medical building.

It was no use wasting time arguing with Leila. Spock respected her evaluation of her own abilities. Leila's strength of constitution continued to surprise him. He couldn't help noting the difference between this new Leila with the delicate, gentle flower he had known on Omicron Ceti III. The two women were worlds apart in disposition. He followed after her, taken aback by the sudden tangent of thought.

When Spock entered, he saw McCoy and another doctor conferring with some other medical personnel. On the table beside them lay one of the plants that Suhana had gathered hours before. Its pointed leaves were reminiscent of Earth's ivy, but the leaves were thicker and the stem appeared to contain fluid. At the top of the plant was a flower of the blandest grey tone. Spock likened the color to the hide of the extinct mammal _Loxodonta africana_ , commonly known as the elephant, if his Earth zoological history was correct.

Bones saw them first. He grinned at the sight of them. Their clothing was nearly dry, but it was still damp enough for the Doctor to notice. "Get caught in a downpour, did ya?" he drawled.

Leila found this remark slightly amusing and curled her lips up. Spock did not.

"Mr. Spock, Miss Kalomi, you'll be pleased to know that a breakthrough is in progress," said the other doctor. He sounded quite lively despite presumably being overworked _and_ infected.

Bones seemed reluctant to abandon the humor of their appearance. However, he managed to re-focus his eyes down on some chemical readings, "But it's not a cure. Dr. O here believes that this plant's digestive juices can ease symptoms."

"Digestive juices?" Spock inquired. "This plant does not produce it's own nutrition."

"Yes, I am familiar with these types of carnivorous plants. An example would be Earth's _Dionaea muscipula_."

"The Venus fly trap," Spock replied.

Leila laughed and clapped twice. "Very good, Mr. Spock!"

"Precisely. This plant also eats insects. We found the remnants of one that was about to be digested, and are working to identify it now," said Dr. O.

Just then, the door burst open. Captain Kirk flew in with his usual gusto. But the expression on his face was one of trepidation, not excitement. "Spock! Bones!" His breathing was labored, but he worked to calm down when he saw the others staring at him wide-eyed. "I…need… to talk to you."


	5. Chapter 5 - The Conclusion

**A/N: Finally! The long-awaited conclusion of Extinguish the Night. At least, I have been long-awaiting some free time to write it. Thanks to all the wonderful people who have read, favorited, followed, or reviewed previous chapters. Your support means so much. Enjoy the fifth and final chapter! LLAP.**

* * *

Kirk, Spock, and McCoy stood outside the medical building in Eonsul's once-bustling city. The planet's night sky was quickly becoming a shade of vivid zaffre, casting a bluish glow upon everything outside. Now, in the midst of an unidentified epidemic, the city was completely silent. The trio had left behind Dr. O and Leila to continue working on identifying the cause of the deadly disease, which had been decimating the planet's population for nearly a year. Minutes ago, Kirk had burst in and summoned Spock and McCoy to follow him immediately. His loyal First and Medical Officers had not hesitated to obey the captain's heated request.

Kirk placed his hands on his knees, struggling to suck in air. He had removed his cloth headband; fitting in with the natives' fashions hardly mattered anymore. Sweat glistened blue on his forehead, which worried McCoy greatly. Spock was concerned for his captain, too, but continued functioning as an ever-silent stronghold.

The doctor spoke: "Jim, are you alright? What the devil is going on? It's the disease, isn't it? It's progressing fast." He placed a hand on Kirk's shoulder and whipped out his medical tricorder.

Kirk straightened and pushed the instrument gently away. "I'm fine, Bones. We all must see Dr. S right away. But first I need to fill you in. Lieutenant Uhura has made an important discovery about his true identity." The captain tried to hide his panting.

"Lieutenant Uhura?" Spock said with considerable puzzlement. "I was under the impression that the entire crew was confined to the Enterprise due to the epidemic."

"Exactly, Spock. That's the beauty of it. She was able to uncover the information while still aboard, at the communications console," Kirk explained.

McCoy couldn't resist piping up, "Yeah, Spock. Although you might be so inclined to take your time traipsing through the woods with certain female company, the crew of the Enterprise never stops working. And Lieutenant Uhura is no exception," he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

If he had been human, Spock's cheeks would have glowed deep pink with shame at the Doctor's remark. He couldn't deny the accusation, playful as it was. The observant eye could catch a green flush creeping across his face.

Kirk had no idea of the nature of Bones' remark, but he couldn't waste time uncovering it. In normal circumstances, he would have probed further, but now he was all business. "We have no time to waste. It turns out that Dr. S has not been isolated from other planets like he claims." Kirk detailed all of the information that Uhura had gathered, about Dr. S's two messages directed to a planet in the Romulan Empire.

At Kirk's conclusion, Spock was about to share his newfound information concerning the doctor. But suddenly the medical building door burst open. Dr. O came running out, wildly waving a syringe in his hand. "We've found it!"

"Whoa, there!" McCoy walked towards the fanatic doctor with his arms extended. "Careful with that. Don't want to accidentally inject anybody."

"Sorry," Dr. O replied sheepishly. "But we've found a cure! And it works! You see, an insect carries the disease. It's a type of bug I've never seen before, and it was found inside the carnivorous plant that the scientists brought back. The plant's digestive juices completely destroy the bug and counteract the disease it carries. We've already tested the vaccine on a gravely ill patient, and it worked!" Dr. O moved towards Bones with the syringe, as if to inject him right then and there.

"Wait just a minute," said Bones. "It worked on one of your people." Bones didn't even know if the people of Eonsul were human. In all of the commotion since the crew had been forced to land here, no one had bothered to ask such a question. But it was better safe than sorry. "How do you know it will work on us?" he continued, skeptically.

Dr. O smiled, "It works on humans, too." Then, his smile abruptly shifted into a frightened guise. He knew that he had revealed a secret not intended for their ears.

Just then, the medical building door opened again, and out walked Leila, a spring in her step, looking completely alive and beautiful as ever. "Yes, the vaccine really works. I'm cured." She spun around in unbridled joy.

Bones whipped out his tricorder and ran it through the air near Leila. He looked at Jim and Spock. "She's right. No more contagion."

Kirk had been closely listening throughout the encounter. He was thrilled that a cure had been found, but something else troubled him.

Spock beat him to the punch, as he addressed Dr. O, "Pardon me, doctor, but your claim that the vaccine is effective medicine for 'humans, too,' implies that your species is not of human origin."

Dr. O's fearful expression deepened, like that of an admonished schoolchild about to be severely punished. He gulped. "Did I say that? What I meant to say was, uh, maybe you should discuss this matter with Dr. S," he said softly.

"I agree," Kirk said firmly, turning on his heel. He motioned to Bones, Spock, and Leila to follow him. He didn't much care if Dr. O followed, and after all, he should be attending to his patients.

* * *

Soon they had assembled all of the scientists together and were marching towards Dr. S's headquarters for whatever his position was on this planet. Kirk tried to control his rage as he entered, uninvited.

Dr. S. sat behind the desk of their first meeting, as if he had never moved from that spot in the length of a day.

Kirk's voice whipped his chair around. "I want answers, _Sirol_." This was the name of the person Uhura said had signed the message from Dr. S's radio. Kirk was taking a chance, but he continued unswervingly. "I want to know who you are and why you lied to me, my crew, and the visiting scientists who came in peace, and who found a cure for the disease."

Dr. S's eyes widened. His hands nervously gripped the top of his desk. He had obviously never been challenged or spoken to like this before.

Kirk went on, "Yes, aided by the Federation scientists, your very own Dr. O has created a vaccine proven to remedy the illness. If you want an injection for yourself, I suggest you tell us the truth." Resorting to bribery was not in the captain's nature, but his protectiveness of his crew and the Federation scientists was getting the better of him.

Dr. S's mask of confidence was slowly melting under the heat of Kirk's piercing stare. He seemed to weigh his options in a split second, and then said, "Alright. I will confess, but only because my life means more to me than any punishment."

The profuse sweat on his cheeks and neck could scarcely be the result nervousness; clearly the pathogen was progressing rapidly throughout his system. His wet black and silver hair would have made a comfortable home for a family of rats. His once-scarlet headband was soaked through and turned a deep wooden color from the moisture. Reaching behind his head, Dr. S carefully untied the piece of cloth, revealing dark, upswept eyebrows and tall, pointed ears.

He cleared his throat and began, "My name is Sirol, as you so keenly addressed me, Captain. I suppose my radio communications are primitive and not so easily hidden from a constitution-class starship." He smirked. No one else in the room found this remark funny, so he stiffened and continued, "I come from a small planet in the Romulan Empire. You probably have never heard of it. In fact, it has no name at all. You see, the planet is the site of a military testing facility, of the Empire's newest and most secret weapons. But some inhabitants of the planet are completely docile. Not all Romulans are war-mongers, you know, captain," he said facetiously. "Personally, I've always been a champion for peace. So were many others on the planet. Having seen so much war and destruction our whole lives, we wanted to abandon our Romulan identities completely, and start a new community: one of peace, brotherhood, and simplicity. We scouted out planets for many months, until we found this one. A group of us settled here, but a short while later, we were stricken with outbreak." Sirol accentuated the trauma with a distressed and wistful gaze.

Meanwhile, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the scientists listened intently. To everyone's surprise, Leila was the first one to speak up. "But you didn't abandon your Romulan identity completely. You still despise Vulcans," she said firmly. The injection seemed to have worked wonders for her self-confidence as well as her physical health.

"Is that true?" Kirk barked. It was the first he had heard of this.

Sirol looked taken aback, but was eager to finish his story, so he attempted to shrug off the accusation. "Well, to borrow an Earth phrase, captain: 'Old habits die hard.' Besides, what does it concern you? As I was saying, we arrived on the planet, and the people began falling ill-"

As Sirol continued, Bones was preparing to step in. He glanced at Spock to make sure he would agree with this next move. Spock was once step ahead, already untying his headband. McCoy interrupted, "Oh, it concerns us, alright. It just so happens that the plant used to develop the vaccine for the disease was discovered by the Enterprise's First Officer," he gestured to Spock.

When Spock had completely removed his headband, Sirol gasped.

Spock replied, "The discovery was not mine alone, Doctor. Remember, I was aided by a capable team of Federation scientists." Ignoring Sirol's stupor, which was quickly turning into boiling fury, Spock added, "The only reason the plant worked as a cure, was because it digests the insect that carries the disease. I've been informed that you, Sirol, are not a medical doctor but an entomologist."

Kirk and Bones whirled around to look at Spock. Just where was he getting all of this information and why hadn't he shared it with them? But they had no time to dwell on the issue and quickly directed their gazes at Sirol.

"Yes, it's true. I never claimed to be able to heal the sick, which is exactly why I enlisted your help. You must not accuse me of lying about that," he defended.

"If tractor-beaming our ship to the surface is your idea of 'enlisting' our help, I'd hate to see your idea of forced labor," Bones joked, attempting to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

Kirk was on edge once again. It took all the restraint he could muster to maintain an even tone as he said, "And what may we accuse you of lying about? Did you _know_ about this host insect?"

"Of course I've _heard_ of the Rema bug. It's native to many Romulan planets. I brought many insects along with me to study while I was here, but only _one_ Rema, which escaped early on. I swear to you." The interrogation was visibly weakening Sirol each passing minute. If he was trying to hide it, the helpless tone of his voice betrayed him. "Perhaps this planet is also home to a type of Rema bug, and they could have interbred." Sirol cowered under Kirk's stare. "Please, it's all true. I have a wife and daughter on my home planet," he added, seemingly to obtain sympathy.

Kirk's red face looked like he was ready to move in for the kill. "I've had just about enough of this, Sirol. You are a poor excuse for a leader. Your careless behavior has killed thousands, if you even told us the truth about your decimated population. You've detained innocents, and forced others to do your dirty work. I should report your deception to the Federation, but really it's up to the Romulan Empire to deal with you. I don't want to waste my time."

"Jim, you can't be serious! After what he's done?" Bones countered. He couldn't believe Kirk would let Sirol get away with nothing.

"It is not in Starfleet's directive to interfere in matters such as this," Spock stated.

"Since when has that bothered Jim before?" Bones sneered. "Do something, at least. He destroyed your ship."

Sirol interjected, looking like a retreating turtle behind his hard-shell desk. "No, no. I've returned complete control of your ship to you!" he interjected.

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do, Bones. I'm going to make sure vaccines become available to everyone in this settlement, which includes us. _Someone_ has to show initiative around here. Let's just hope it can stay that way."

* * *

Kirk followed through with his promises, and before long, lines were forming outside the medical building for vaccines. Healed inhabitants were scouting into the woods to try and find more of the healing carnivorous plant. Kirk offered to transport the weary Federation scientists to the nearest starbase, and they had happily obliged. Everyone, including Sirol, was feeling of sound mind after the vaccine began to take effect. He thanked Kirk profusely for not punishing him, and vowed to become a more proactive leader and implement some form of government.

Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the scientists walked back to the green meadow where the Enterprise had been laid to rest, only to find a green meadow. For a moment, Kirk thought that some type of cloaking device was in use, but quickly dismissed the thought as fantasy.

Just then, his communicator sounded. "Kirk here."

"Captain, Commander Scott here. She's back in orbit and fully functioning. We regained control of the ship about an hour ago, but I couldn't get a hold of ya. Are you alright, sir?"

It was a relief to hear Scotty's voice, "We're all right. And we're no longer infected. Beam twelve passengers aboard. Us three, and nine Federation scientists, also not infected. Kirk out."

* * *

It would take Kirk, Spock, and McCoy a few days to recover from that unplanned strenuous ordeal. They maintained their posts, but their coworkers were very patient with them should they slip up.

A few hours after returning, McCoy came on the bridge to inform Chekov that it was time for his physical. He also couldn't resist mentioning the results of the mission to Kirk. "I still can't believe you let Sirol get off scot-free," he said behind the Captain's chair.

"What's that?" Scotty turned around from the engineering station. "I heard my name."

Kirk grinned and McCoy guffawed. "Oh, it's nothing Mr. Scott. Bones, whatever I could do to him, I'm sure the Romulans will think of something worse."

"Romulans. So emotional," Spock uttered under his breath from his post at the science console. But a Vulcan mumbling something still comes out considerably articulate by human standards, so everyone on the bridge crew heard the remark. They paused for a beat and burst out laughing.

* * *

Spock was having a particularly difficult time adjusting back to his usual routine. The past week had been a whirlwind for him, what with pon farr, the koon-ut-kal-if-fee ceremony _,_ Sirol, the can put off sleep longer than humans, but if Spock was honest with himself, he was truly exhausted. The night after the events on Eonsul, he lay meditating in his quarters, when there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," he said, not at all embarrassed for whomever it may be to see him stretched out on the bed, steepled fingers across his chest.

The door slid open and in walked a familiar face. A face he had gotten a bit too familiar with on their last excursion. A flood of memories whooshed through Spock's mind and he bolted upward. He remembered having kissed Leila by the waterfall, without her consent, and was about to do more than kiss her had she not pushed him away. He pushed those thoughts away and vowed to uphold the highest standards of etiquette during this conversation. He had still been affected by the remnants of pon farr then. Now, he was completely recovered.

Leila walked in closer, a happy, unfazed, fluttery air about her. It seemed out of place in Spock's dark, candle-lit quarters. She was dressed in a red Starfleet uniform. Not wanting the crew to go to any trouble making clothes for her, she had simply borrowed the costume from a generous yeoman. The clothes she left behind on Eonsul were all exposed to the disease, and Dr. McCoy had said it was best not to take chances.

"May I sit down?" she asked.

Spock nodded. "Certainly. What can I do for you, Miss Kalomi?"

Leila sighed and looked at the ceiling. "So we're back to that now, are we? No more 'Leila'?"

Spock attempted to follow her reasoning. He decided the logical way to proceed would be to humor her implied request. "What can I do for you, Leila?" he restated.

"That's more like it," she smiled. "I wanted to thank you for everything. As well as Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy. Thank you for saving our lives."

"You would have done the same," Spock replied. "You also assisted in developing the vaccine."

That was the closest thing to a compliment he had ever given her, and she inwardly cheered. She paused, and looked the Vulcan in the eyes. They were guarded as ever, unlike their sparkling wonder during their moment on the log. "Spock, what happens now?" Her tone shifted at that remark. It became more immediate, hungry for an answer.

"We are escorting your team to Starbase 5. From there you can travel back to Earth, or wherever you desire to go," said Spock plainly. He looked into her deep blue eyes, the color of Earth's oceans. Earth suited her. Space suited him, with all its dark complexities. It was the same color as his eyes.

But not to Leila. While most others saw distant pools of receding space in Spock's eyes, she knew that they were a few shades above black, the color of Terran soil. "Tell me, Spock, how does one become a science officer in Starfleet? What qualifications are necessary?" She asked not only because she wanted to have a conversation with the man she had grown even more to admire, but also because she wanted the information for herself. _It's just research,_ she told herself.

Spock was surprised at her inquiry, but was content to oblige her with an answer. At least she has not mentioned their earlier encounter and seemed genuinely interested in discussing a new topic. "I must tell you initially, Miss Kal –Leila – that it is a very long process to detail verbally."

"That's all right," she said. "It is a very long ride to Starbase 5."

THE END


End file.
